


that's how you get the girl

by BloodRaven55



Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Light Angst, Multi, One Shot, Post-Volume 7 (RWBY), With just a dash of, it's set at the beginning of v8 basically, this is mostly just
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27179014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodRaven55/pseuds/BloodRaven55
Summary: 'I’m in love with you.'It was only five words; it shouldn’t have been such a difficult thing to confess.“Be careful,” was what came out instead, her voice wavering slightly.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Nora Valkyrie, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Lie Ren & Yang Xiao Long, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, the bees get a little more focus but renora are pretty prominent too
Comments: 31
Kudos: 198





	that's how you get the girl

**Author's Note:**

> I really love the idea of the Bees and Renora supporting each other's relationships after all of the parallels between them in canon, so I decided to write it myself.
> 
> Lyrics in the title from That's How You Get the Girl by Taylor Swift.
> 
> This got way longer than I expected but I'm really happy with it so enjoy!
> 
> (Also I've taken a few liberties with predicting how things might go at the start of V8, since it's extremely hard to anticipate exactly what will happen XD)

“Yang, can I talk to you in private for a moment?”

Her partner nodded without any hesitation, and Blake led her out of the room into the corridor, away from the rest of the group. Once they were alone, she found that she didn’t know what to say, and Yang seemed to sense the awkward tension. “Is everything okay?”

Blake nodded, managing to find her words. “Yeah, I just— I guess I didn’t want to say goodbye in front of everyone else.”

Yang’s expression softened, and they were both quiet for a moment as the reality that they were going to be separated again for the near future settled in. None of them had been the biggest fan of splitting the group to take care of Mantle and Atlas at once, but they had no choice. There were still countless civilians in Mantle who needed help, and they were all doomed unless they could get word to the rest of the world and warn them of what was happening.

So as much as she didn’t want to be apart from any of her friends, especially Yang, Blake knew this was the only option. She was painfully aware of all the things she still needed to say to her partner— all of the feelings she’d been too afraid to voice for so long. Now might be the last chance she had to tell Yang before everything went to hell.

_I’m in love with you._

It was only five words; it shouldn’t have been such a difficult thing to confess.

“Be careful,” was what came out instead, her voice wavering slightly.

Yang pulled her into a hug, and Blake buried her face against her partner’s neck, breathing in the familiar scent of citrus and home. Yang’s skin was warm, the fleece of her jacket soft under Blake’s cheek, and Blake closed her eyes as she returned the embrace. They stayed like that for a long while, and Blake was reluctant to move away when they finally separated, not wanting to give up the safety of her partner’s arms around her.

“You too,” Yang murmured, pressing their foreheads together for a lingering moment, and Blake swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.

They went back inside to rejoin the others, and Blake’s eyes were drawn to where Ren and Nora were also hugging on the other side of the room. She couldn’t help noticing how tense they both seemed, and the way Nora’s expression fell slightly as they started to split into their two separate teams. Yang gave her hand one last squeeze, and Blake watched as her partner disappeared through the door with Ren, Jaune, and Oscar.

_I’m in love with you._

She wished she’d been able to work up the courage to say it.

* * *

“Things seemed a little... _tense_ between you and Nora,” Yang commented. “Just before we left the others, I mean. Is everything okay?”

Ren didn't answer for several moments, instead continuing to study the deserted Mantle street for any sign of the building they were looking for. “I— I don't know.”

He sounded uncertain—confused, almost—which caught Yang by surprise. Ren had always struck her as someone who was very in tune with his own feelings, but maybe that wasn't the whole truth. “You wanna talk about it?”

Ren glanced across to meet her eyes, looking slightly taken aback at the offer. “We kissed—during Robyn's election party—but now everything's _weird_. And I don't know how to talk to her about it.” He let out a long, exhausted sigh. “I _want_ to tell her how I feel, but what if I only end up making things worse?”

Yang stayed quiet for a second, weighing her response carefully. “You love her, right?”

His brow furrowed in confusion, but he nodded immediately, like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. “Of course.”

“But you're scared.” This time Yang's tone made it clear it was a statement rather than a question, and it took Ren a beat to respond.

“What if we try and it doesn't work? What if I can't give her what she wants?” His voice raised a fraction, cracking with emotion. “What if something happens and I end up losing her?”

Yang reached out to rest a hand briefly on his shoulder, cutting him off before he could spiral too far into panic. “Hey, that's not gonna happen. Nora's totally crazy about you— everyone can see it. You don't have to be perfect to be enough for her.”

“I know that. At least, logically I do. I just—” He deflated, his shoulders slumping in resignation. “There's just so many ways that everything could go wrong, and I can't stop thinking about it.”

It was obvious that she hadn't really got through to him, and Yang reconsidered her approach. “Y'know, that was how I felt too— when Blake first came back. All I could think about was whether she was going to leave again, or whether I would ruin things somehow, or whether she might die in the next battle. I was so focussed on imagining her not being there anymore that it felt like she was already gone.”

Ren's expression took on the faintest glimmer of hope. “What should I do?”

Yang gave him what she hoped was a comforting smile. “Be honest with her. Tell her everything you just told me. Blake couldn't be there for me until she understood what the problem was— until I let her in. If Nora knows why you're afraid, she can help you. It's hard, but you need to trust yourself enough to trust her.”

Part of her was worried that she wasn't making any sense, but apparently she'd said something right, because Ren nodded again, looking much more confident than he had a minute before. “Thank you, Yang. That helps a lot.”

“No problem.” She gave him one last pat on the back before turning to continue down the road. “We should probably catch up with the others, though.”

He fell into step beside her, and they walked in comfortable silence for a while.

“Yang, I believe you should take your own advice.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean? Blake and I are fine now.”

“Maybe so,” he conceded, “but the two of you aren't... _together_ -together either, are you?”

Yang nearly choked, her cheeks burning in the cold Atlesian air. “I— That's—” She trailed off, accepting that there was no use trying to deny it. “No, we're not.”

He fixed her with a look of genuine curiosity. “Why not?”

“It just... hasn't felt like the right time.” It was a painfully weak answer, and she had to admit to herself that Ren was right. She really did need to take her own advice.

“Yang, I may not be very good at any of this, but I'm pretty sure that with an immortal woman trying to steal four powerful relics in order to win a secret war which will decide the fate of the world there is _never_ going to be a good time.” The corners of his lips twitched upwards, letting her know he was partially joking. “So, as Nora would say, you should ‘quit making excuses and just kiss her already.’”

She couldn't hold back a laugh at that, and the serious mood broke as they turned the corner, both of their steps a little lighter.

* * *

Blake felt distracted and on edge as she checked over her gear one last time, preparing to head back to Atlas Academy and try to raise Amity at last. Her mind was focussed on cataloguing her meagre collection of Dust cartridges so she would know exactly what she had to work with in their next fight, but half of her was convinced that Yang had taken her heart with her down to Mantle.

Her ears perked up at the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her, and she turned to find Nora leaning casually against a stack of crates behind her.

“Did you need something?” Blake asked after an awkward moment of silence. It wasn’t as though she _didn’t_ want to talk to Nora, but they’d never exactly been one of the closest pairs out of the group, and she wasn’t really sure how to approach a conversation with her.

“Oh, nothing important,” Nora said, the grin on her face making Blake feel like she was going to regret wherever this interaction took them. “I just wanted to say congratulations!”

Blake was growing more and more confused with every passing second. “Congratulations for what?”

Nora rolled her eyes. “For _finally_ making Yang your girlfriend, of course!”

Blake’s ears pinned back against her head, her whole face flushing with heat. “Not so loud!” She paused for a moment, uncharacteristically stumbling over her words. “Besides, I don’t— I mean, Yang’s not my girlfriend.”

She got a look of complete disbelief in return. “You’re joking, right?” A beat passed, and Nora clearly realised that Blake was being totally serious. “Okay, okay, I believe you. She’s not your girlfriend.”

Blake studied a crack in the floor at her feet, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip. She wasn’t sure why it hurt so much to hear someone else confirm what she already knew—she and Yang _weren’t_ a couple, that was just a simple fact—but a pang of longing swept through her, making her chest feel tight. Nora seemed to pick up on the change in her mood, her tone softening a little.

“But you want her to be, don’t you?”

It was another opportunity—a second chance—for Blake to put those feelings into words, and she was determined to take it. She might not have been able to work up the nerve to tell Yang before they went their separate ways, but maybe if she admitted it to someone else that would make it easier. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage, and then she let it out slowly.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

“Does she know that’s what you want?”

“I—” Blake knew what she _hoped_ the answer was, but there was always that faint voice in the back of her mind whispering that she might be wrong. “I’m not sure.”

Nora let out a frustrated groan. “Then what are you waiting for? You just need to tell her how you feel— sweep her off her feet with some big romantic declaration of love!”

Blake chuckled at the mental image that suggestion created. “I appreciate the advice, Nora. I’ll be sure to keep it in mind.”

“No, no, no, I’m being serious! Yang’s head over heels for you—like, super duper in love—and she’s probably dying for you to make a move already.” Nora hesitated as a thought seemed to occur to her, wringing her hands nervously. “Maybe don’t just kiss her out of nowhere, though. Cause that could make things _really_ awkward.”

It didn’t take Blake long to realise that they were no longer talking about her and Yang. “Ren cares about you a lot. Just give him some space and it’ll work out in the end.”

Blake didn’t consider herself someone who was very adept at giving advice, but she hoped that the reassurance would at least help a little. “You think so?” Nora asked, and Blake nodded firmly.

“When I first came back to the team, Yang insisted everything was okay, but she kept shutting me out every time I tried to talk to her. Eventually I realised that I was pushing too hard, and when I backed off a little it made things so much easier. He’ll reach out to you when he’s ready— you just have to let it happen naturally.”

“That… actually sounds pretty wise. Thanks, Blake.”

“You’re welcome.”

Blake was about to go and find Ruby to see if they were ready to head out when Nora nudged her lightly with her elbow. “I’m not letting you off the hook that easy, though. As soon as Yang gets back, I wanna see you go and get your girl. No more stalling, Belladonna!”

And with that, Nora was gone, leaving Blake standing there feeling both bemused and grateful.

* * *

The next time Yang saw Blake was when the teams reunited in an abandoned house in Mantle. They’d only just managed to rescue Oscar before he could be delivered to Salem, and Ruby had decided that it would be better for the group to stick together after that so they’d be harder to pick off. They were all exhausted after almost two whole days without rest, but that didn’t stop Blake from practically jumping into Yang’s arms as soon as she set foot in the room.

Yang held her close, the comfort of feeling for herself that her partner was alive and well enough to give her back a little of her strength. Every time she got to so much as hug Blake felt like a blessing when the chances of survival grew more uncertain with each passing day. Blake pulled back just far enough to look her over, frowning slightly as she took in the bruises and cuts scattered over Yang’s face.

“I’m okay,” Yang said, leaning into the touch as Blake ran a thumb gently over her cheekbone. “I promise.”

Blake’s hand slid down to loosely take hold of Yang’s wrist instead, and Yang allowed herself to be led out of the room. The kitchen next door was unoccupied, and Blake let go to close the door behind them, prompting Yang to raise an eyebrow. “Y’know, if you keep dragging me off like this people are gonna start to talk.”

The attempt at a joke fell flat as Blake began to pace anxiously back and forth in front of her. “I have something I need to say, and I— I need to say it now because otherwise I don’t think I ever will.”

Yang wasn’t sure if Blake was really talking to her, or just talking to herself, but she answered anyway. “It’s okay, take your time. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Her partner came to a stop, turning to face her properly. “I, uh— Yang, I’m in love with you.”

The words settled in the air, heavy with the weight of the meaning behind them. For several seconds Yang could only stare speechlessly in shock. She’d sort of been expecting that they’d address this unspoken _thing_ between them eventually, but hearing Blake come right out and say it was overwhelming to say the least. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to find the right response.

“Can I kiss you?” was what she ended up blurting out, and she winced with embarrassment at her own lack of tact.

But Blake just smiled, stepping forward to take Yang’s face in her hands. “You’re such a dork.”

“Is that a yes?”

Blake didn’t answer with words, and Yang met her halfway as they kissed. Blake’s lips weren’t soft like they had been in Yang’s daydreams—they were rough and chapped and _real_ —but it was so much better than any fantasy. Her hands fell to Blake’s waist, pulling her closer, and then Blake’s hand tangled in Yang’s hair and Yang forgot that anything existed outside of the two of them.

They only broke apart when they needed to breathe, both red-cheeked and giddy as they caught their breath.

“I love you.”

The words had slipped out before she could even think about it, and Blake leaned in to leave one last chaste kiss on her cheek. By wordless agreement they headed back into the other room before the others could start to worry that they’d gone missing, and Yang didn’t let go of Blake’s hand even once they were back with the others. She had no reason to hide how she felt anymore, after all.

As they gathered round a map to discuss their next move, she noticed the way that Ren kept glancing at Nora when he thought no one was looking. Yang shot him a thumbs up when they finished their planning for the evening, and he returned the gesture, albeit a little hesitantly. She watched as he went over to tap Nora on the shoulder, feeling relieved as the two of them retreated to a corner to talk more privately.

She had no idea how their conversation went, but when they set out the next morning Ren took Nora’s hand in his own and she interlaced their fingers, so Yang was pretty confident that they were doing just fine. She wrapped an arm around Blake’s shoulders, smiling as her partner leaned into her side. Maybe it had taken all of them a bit too long to figure it out, but they’d got there in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments absolutely make my day so feel free to let me know what you thought and I'll see y'all next time <3


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